Obama should have chosen Clinton if it’s really for the good of America, both of them would have given up their differences and tried to work out all the issues by employing Obama’s vision and Clinton’s experience. The fact that Obama chose Biden simply because this guys has the cleanest history and less problems for Republican’s attack shows how egoistic Obama is and what he’s really in for – to win the race, not for the good of America. Clinton is so much more brilliant and capable than Biden. What a poor choice on Obama’s part to choose Biden as a running mate. He just lost my vote for this election

Obama has no sense of humor. I’m sure his campaign will denounce this guy as a racist. The fact is that Obama’s millions upon millions have been spent in service of proving that Obama is an elitist and a snob from Harvard. That he really is distant and doesn’t understand or like average people. That he looks down on most voters. That’s he’s grandiose and pompous and presumptuous. And that he can’t connect on a gut level with voters. Well, he does have some sense of humor as he thinks Biden will help him with Hillary’s supporters. This is the same Biden who was the head of the committee that savagely attacked Anita Hill. Brilliant.

I’m a democrat, I’m voting for Obama, and I happen to think that guys t-shirt is pretty funny. Look, if you can have a different point of view, and poke a little fun, I don’t see anything wrong with that.

“Hope” that’s the word?! They might as well discuss Plato. That said, Obama does hit me at a gut level. But then again, I’m an elitist. I’m voting for Obama but he’s no great orator. Read the speeches of Lincoln, Kennedy and Washington if you want to hear wonders. The person who will change America is the politician who can speak his or her mind without fear of repercussion. This might only happen when the great crisis comes to America and the public will recognize wisdom when it is spoken and the media becomes dumbfounded.

I no longer trust the comments posted here or elsewhere. Too many seem calculated right wing talking points, submitted under false premises. The supposed Clinton supporters seem particularly unreal. So do the common presumptions of writers who pretend to really know the candidates.

Did you say “clinton’s experience”? Which experience? The experience of being a wife of a president and a commander-in-chief? Really, is that all there is to it …!? Funny, very funny! She’s out of the primary, it about time to shove her overinflated “experience” to its resting place, to the relics of dirty-politics!

What a beautiful speech by Michelle! She spoke (almost)as if she REALLY meant it.
It was SOOOO obvious that she was trying to address the points about her which have been criticized. She even sounded better than Barack himself.
Successful Presidents are not made on party Convention floors. They’re made as a result of experience, knowledge, familiarity from up-close with a million issues, the right advisors, constant contact with what’s “going on out there”, self-confidence woven together woth a sense of humility and an ability to listen carefully and weigh what other intelligent and experienced people have to say.
Michelle did a GREAT job. So what? Their children were cute. So what? Is THAT-the gimmicks-what we’re going to really upon to get emotionally revved up and vote for Barack “Flip-flop” Obama?!
McCain has his issues. But, besides the “inspiration’ of hope, Obama comes up not explaining ANYTHING-empty! Beware of a charlatan, speaking nicely and looking like a pro. If you’re honest you’ll admit-you know NOTHING else about who he really is. In today’s volatile world THAT’S terrifying!

what do you know about McCain the so called hero well everyone who fought in Vietnam is a hero it wasn’t just McCain… HE cheated on his wife because he was a hero, used her to promote himself and his 10 houses because he was a hero who makes alot of gaffes like the Czech Republic is still Czechoslvakia who and this is a big one does not know the borders of the mid east countries. God help us. Yes the hero the hero my foot.

There are those people with such deep prejudices that no matter what Obama and Michelle say or do will ever convince them that these are two good people here !
Sadly racisim still lives in this country ! Then there are those who are like stuborn children who will never accept that Hillary Clinton lost the nomination and will selfishly hold out voting for Obama and the Democratic party out of spite !
Thankfully there are enough of us who are more mature than that and realise the state our country is in and what another Republican run presidency will do to further distroy our country.

After all, hope IS hype until we go out and make it a reality. This guy doesn’t intend to change things, so we’ll let him catch up when President Obama helps raise ALL boats with his plan and community building experience. Maybe McCain can sit on some sort of Social Security task committee when he goes back to the Senate on November 5.

As far as I know, Obama is the only candidate who had an autobiography published when he was not a celebrity or in politics, with full disclosure about who he was and where he came from. So for all this talk about him being aloof or unknown, the answer, literally, is that he is an open book. It is odd that the candidate who came from nothing, who had to go to school on scholarships, and who made it to the top of his law school class at Harvard is somehow being derided as elitist because of that.

“Obama comes up not explaining ANYTHING-empty! Beware of a charlatan, speaking nicely and looking like a pro. If you’re honest you’ll admit-you know NOTHING else about who he really is. In today’s volatile world THAT’S terrifying!”

There was a very good article in the NYT last week on Obama’s economic positions and background on the economists he works with. Not a total picture but it has substance. I would suggest you look it up so you won’t have to say you know nothing and will cease to be terrified.

I’m with poster #6 (dairubo). I’ve noticed that the top comments on these political pages seem to increasingly be from trolls trashing Obama in an off-topic way. Sure, people can disagree, but look at poster #2 — his post reads like a disinformation campaign. NYT, your system is obviously being abused.

I like the T-shirt. The very fact he can wear it and be allowed to setup near the convention speaks of a great america. If that were an anti Bush statement he would have been forced to be miles away from our current elitist president. I fail to understand people who are berating Obama and company for doing things just to “win.” He can accomplish nothing if he doesn’t “win.” Of course Michelle waqnted to endear them to the country. As far as Obama being an “elitist.” I myself would be much more comfortable having someone in the whitehouse who understand the powers that really control things. The world is controlled by elitists and it is about time we have a president capable of being a great orator as I am tired of the good ol’ boy BS.

Every election, unfortunately, we have to pick between the “lesser of two evils”. Obama leaves me cold even though I’m a staunch Democrat. My vote this year will be split – McCain for President, all others will be members of my party. Let’s hope that “mix” will enable Congress to finally get down to the business of running our country correctly before we end up third world. Amen!

I am one of those “bitter” Americans of whom Obama spoke. First, tech stocks went bust, then my 401K dwindled, my company stock tanked and my house just appraised for 100,000 less than 2 years ago. I have worked a a nurse for 35 years and my self-employed, hard-working daughter can’t get health coverage because of a common pre-existing condition. These are the economic, domestic issues I will vote on and I am proud to vote for Obama. The failed economic policies of the Bush years and lack of caring for the averagwe person have come home to roost. If this proud candidate is defeated by lies, innuendos and gutter politics, the American people will pay a “bitter” price. Please, open up your eyes and vote on real issues and not the pomp and circumstance of bedazzlement at the conventions. By the way, Michelle Obama came across as eloquent, sincere, warm, classy and smart. I see the Obamas as the type of family that will herald in the 21st century with cultural diversity, ethics and diplomacy. What a shame we have so many ignorant people in America who swallow all the media has to serve up, especially Fox News. Let’s vote for the good of America on platforms that lift up the average person to a place of self-respect, hope, and pride in being an American.

It seems that Hillary is really the Lady On The Tiger. She has been on a long ride with Bill and failed to get off when Bill really blew it.Now she must either totally scuttle the Tiger and make Obama a winner or forever be labeled a loser. Lucky Lady, she gets a second chance.

I’m not sure this was the best speech a potential presidents wife could have made. Yes, its good to know her background her daddies, brothers, Moms, her background on how she met her husband. The struggles she and her family had. Her personal relationship with daddy. All well & good but this is not the way to start a good campaign kick off in my opinion. It was good to see Ted Kennedy and family. Great to hear him again, but he isn’t running. Oh well time could have been better spent on Monday night…

Oh by the way I did not think the comment Jimmy Carter made about Obama was very nice saying ” That boy came a long way” I think that was racial. Boy where did he get off calling him that.

Well, we went eight years with the candidate “you’d most like to have a beer with” and he didn’t seem to be particularly in touch with the middle class and everyday challenges of regular people. Let’s try a wine-sipping Harvard graduate and see if intellegence can help us through the troubled times ahead.

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Weekly pieces by the Op-Ed columnists Charles Blow and Ross Douthat, as well as regular posts from contributing writers like Thomas B. Edsall and Timothy Egan. This is also the place for opinionated political thinkers from all over the United States to make their arguments about everything connected to the 2012 election. Yes, everything: the candidates, the states, the caucuses, the issues, the rules, the controversies, the primaries, the ads, the electorate, the present, the past and even the future.